Ruddering sunsets
by ShadowSong StarGlaive The Wolf
Summary: [Complete]When Ruddering began, with slavery, escape and freedom... Three daring otters lead an escape from the ship that captured their familes, one otter seeking more than freedom...
1. Prolouge

Haven't you always wanted to know what Ruddering was before the otters came? Or what is was like when the otters came? Here it is, in full splendor! (Ok, that was a weird phrase.) It is about a season after Martin and Clecky and such left to go back to Redwall. Warning- Inbar/Grath! Well, just some. Aren't they perfect for each other? PG for violence (some), 'thematic elements' (whatever that means, doesn't it mean angst? Oh well) and that's about it. NO LANGUAGE WHATSOEVER! I am against using strong language in anything. I don't mind the occasional curse, but when it's used strenuously like 'And that **** did **** ***' and you get it.  
  
Disclaimer: Do you THINK I own Redwall? ~Glares at Brian Jacques~ He does, but maybe someday he will give it to me... ah well, on with the story. WARNING: Spoilers for Pearls of Lutra! WARNING: Spoilers for Pearls of Lutra! WARNING: Spoilers for Pearls of Lutra! WARNING: Spoilers for Pearls of Lutra! WARNING: Spoilers for Pearls of Lutra! WARNING: Spoilers for Pearls of Lutra! Ok, do you understand? Good! By the way... WARNING: Spoilers for Pearls of Lutra! Also a tiny spoiler for Legend of Luke at the very end- so just don't read the -ShadowSong CometShard StarGlaive.  
  
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Inbar Trueflight eyed down his shaft, and loosed.  
  
It struck the target, dead center. He turned to his mate, Grath Longfletch. She judged the moment right to shoot- the green-fletched arrow whistled at slammed into the target next to Inbar's. She smiled at him. "Am I shooting as well as you, Inbar?"  
  
Inbar shook his head in amazement. "I can't tell!"  
  
A few kits, who were watching the archery, ran up to the pair, shouting, "I wanna shoot a bow!"  
  
Grath looked at them. "Oh, I don't know. Ask Chief Wallyum about that!"  
  
At that moment, the chief walked up. Though incredibly old, he had a glint of youngness in his eyes. He shooed the kits away. "Be off with you, young'ns!"  
  
Grath laughed, "Those kits, I don't know whether to laugh or act serious."  
  
Wallyum shrugged. "I don't know much these days, except for stories."  
  
Inbar glanced at his father. "Actually, I haven't heard the story about how Ruddering came to be. Have you yet, Grath?"  
  
Grath clapped her paws. "No, but I'm sure your father would love to tell me, right?"  
  
Wallyum grinned, creasing his face with wrinkles. "Now, let's see, how Ruddering came to be...."  
  
A/N That rhymes! Sorry.... Had to say that... But oh well, that's a chappie! Please review and wait! -Shadowsong CometShard StarGlaive.  
  
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	2. ShadowWave Tsunami

The seas crashed against the ship Oceanblood. Searats and oarslaves alike groaned at the weather. It was down pouring, and water continually teemed down like buckets of water were being dumped. Water seeped through the slaves oarports, wetting the woods and making the slaves pitiful garb soaked.  
  
One searat, Lolak, bunched his fur tight, whip close at paw. He lashed out at an otter, whose back was scarred from before thrashings. The otter did not wince, but grimaced at the whip making fresh wounds. Staring out his oarport, he tried to wash out memories of previous floggings with the rain. The slaves were not rowing, but that was the only highlight.  
  
" 'Ey, you, riverdog! Keep yer eyes forward! 'Less yew wanna talk to the Cap'n!"  
  
The otter, Kaola, was about to snap back a smart remark when the ship lurched. The two rats who were on slave duty were hurled to the other end of the ship, slamming against the wall. Soon, the two searats were tangled together. Slaves chuckled quietly to themselves.  
  
The other searat than Lolak hissed. "I hate this stinkin guard duty. What are these otters gonna do, snap open their chains and walk off board?"  
  
Lolak nodded. "Right, mate. I though I 'eard the cook says he was gonna make skilly'n'duff. Maybe there's some left iffen the others didn't get to it!"  
  
Lolak and the searat, after getting untangled, stood up and faced the misfortune slaves. "Looks, I ain't gonna say this again. Stay quiet and maybe you'll get fed tonight. Ahahaha!" They strode off laughing at the otters, who were caught a season earlier at an otter encampment. Oceanblood had no slaves, so the otters were the only slaves on board. Since there were so few slaves, the four otter families were worked extremely hard.  
  
Kaola, after seeing them leave, smashed his paw against his chains. "I want to slay those two, aye, the whole crew! I want to leave this flea-ridden cursed ship! I want to see it rot into pieces, and those sink! I want-"  
  
"Freedom."  
  
The otters turned their heads towards the back. A young ottermaid was sitting back there, her paws bound to her oar, scars across her face. She was pure black, and her eyes were tinted red from birth- she was in the back from the very beginning. The captain was afraid of her eyes, for he claimed that a demon resided in them. To that the ottermaid, ShadowWave Tsunami, replied, "It is not me the demon, but your ship and your entire crew!"  
  
Since then, she was alone pulling her oar, her red shaded eyes glaring at the searats. Every one of the searats feared her- not just because of her looks, but because she always took a chance to bite, claw, kick or harm in any way to any rat. ShadowWave made sure any slave near her was not harmed, or the offending rat would get an injury.  
  
"Freedom," she repeated, her bold voice ringing out like a brazen bell. "We have been denied that for a season, many slaves on other ships their lives. These creatures, foul, evil, malicious, cruel- that is the only thing that resides in their eyes. For a see this ship as a tree that had it's freedom stolen and wrecked. I see these chains as ore that has been shaped, not as a key, but a shackle- a shackle used on a slave that has been wrecked, shaped, and hurt."  
  
Kaola spoke up, his voice equally strong. "That is true. Are we not riverdogs, streamdogs, otters? We are on a ship, and well able to get off it!"  
  
An old otter, his fur a silvery gray, whispered, "But how..."  
  
ShadowWave jerked her fetters hard. They squeaked, and visibly moved. She wrenched harder, and the whole slave crew watched. Finally, the chains gave in. They yanked from their staple, deeply set in the middle of the floor. A small bit of chain was left. Little did the searats know, they had put ShadowWave closest to the staple bolt- and therefore the most easy place to escape. She looked around. "Well? Start pulling with all your might- these paws will be the ones around the searat's necks!"  
  
A/N Ok, that's one chappie! I've been sitting in this cursed desk for a while, and I gotta go. Oh well, wait for the next chapter! -Shadowsong CometShard StarGlaive. (By the way, in the story, it's about dusk.) 


	3. Snapping the Chains

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Kaola, who was about two seats away from her, and sat with a female about his age, tugged roughly on his shackles. Small rust flakes came off near his wrist chain. He was almost through, when the ship pitched. The slaves were thrown against their seats. Struggling, the otter roughly jerked at his chain. Curses! Only a extremely rusted hook kept him from freedom. His eyes flashed- in no way was a single chain going to get between him and liberty! Drawing a deep breath, he tugged.  
  
The chain snapped free with a shrill shriek. The shatter chains lay on the floor. Kaola lifted his wrist shackles and the small amount of chain left on them. Grinning, he lifted them high. "Free!"  
  
His voice was bolder than the ocean, but not as loud. Still, an old otterwife hissed. "Quiet, young un! The searats-"  
  
ShadowWave stamped her paw. "I don't give a shellfish about those searats!" She shook her emaciated paws. "Don't you want to be free? Well? Start snapping the chains!"  
  
A flurry of rustling paws and clinking fetters was soon heard. Kaola helped the ottermaid to his left. "Hold still, marm. I can help you."  
  
The ottermaid laughed, a sound seldom heard recently. "I am Ioales Sharpreef. And the freedom I was denied will ring throughout my paws until I depart this life!"  
  
With that, breaking chains were tossed on the floor. Unfortunately, the wind died down for that exact moment, and the clanking chains made noises. A searat above called down from middle deck; "'Ey, slaves! What's going on down th- bilgewater and ships!" he cried out. "The slave- chain- broke-"  
  
Kaola shoved the final chains off Ioales. "Go!"  
  
Chaos ensued. Many of the fetters, rusty and old, had snapped easily- only one was not shattering. A small otter kit, her fur fawn brown, was struggling with hers. Kaola, in one swift movement, leapt over Ioales and landed near the kit, Seaweed. With furious strength, he tweaked the shackle. It leapt from the floor, sending a shard into the rat coming down the stair's footpaw. He leapt up, screeching.  
  
"Come on!" shouted ShadowWave. She was standing up and wielding a massive amount of shackle. Swinging the deadly chains, and loosed at the precise moment the rat leapt up. He hurtled down up the stairs, crashing into a few other curious rats. Kaola was about to fling a equally large amount of chain when the ship Oceanblood smashed into an immense rock.  
  
The left side of the ship smashed, and for a still moment, a hole big enough to push a badger through opened up. Kaola took that moment, and dived into the hole, the other otters following.  
  
Searats screamed and tried to race through the hole, but seawater poured in. Searats, wood, oars, chain, all were swimming around. Slowly, the ship began to sink. The otters at the surface watched the vessel go under the surface with satisfaction. The rock that the ship had crashed into was not a rock, but a huge mountain, with waves lapping at its sides.  
  
ShadowWave swam towards the sinking ship, grabbing a chunk of driftwood for support for her weakened limbs. As she swam closer, she spotted a floundering searat with a green bandana tied around his head. As ShadowWave swam closer, he tried to swim away- but was surrounded by searats. Diving up, the ebon otter let go of the plank and swam below the rat. Spurring up, she splashed in front of the foul searat captain and spat in his face.  
  
"A captain without a ship. Do you see my eyes?" The crimson hue from the setting sun shone in the otter's eyes. "Well? Who's the demon now?"  
  
The captain stammered. This must be a bad dream! he thought franticly. But the sun, the otter, his drowning comrades proved. This was no nightmare. "Don't kill me!" he pleaded.  
  
The scarlet eyes of the otter remained emotionless. But her words dripped hate like a waterfall.  
  
"How can you enslave? There is nothing more than loathe in slavery. Become a slave, captain. Become a slave to death!" The dusky paws of ShadowWave stretched around the searat's neck like shadowy vines. Kicking furiously in the water, the searat tried to free himself, but could not- but freed himself forever. Staring ahead, the dim shape of an wooden- or was it iron? gate flashed in his view.  
  
A/N Ohhhh! Cliffy! Well, not really, I'm posting the next chapter soon... but it'll end well. How does Kaola/Ioales sound? Ha ha, just kidding. Well, not really... What!? -Shadowsong CometShard StarGlaive 


	4. Revenge!

ShadowWave kicked the limp body of her once captor away, watching it sink. Some of the otters, getting the idea, swam below the searats and attacked. Livid rage encased them- the searats died in minutes. None could meet the furious strength of an otter in water.  
  
ShadowWave breathed heavily. Thrusting her rudder, she swam to her comrades. Looking around, be saw not a searat alive. As she swam closer, an odd honking noise erupted behind her.  
  
"Feryooday, Kooalaaa!"  
  
Seals rose out of sea, into the carnage. Pups, bulls, wives- all them, including Rawk, the current chief. Rawk waved a huge flipper. Kaola cheerily waved back. "Manyhooday, Raaaaaaawk!"  
  
The seafolk swam over. Seaweed and a few of the old ones were hoisted up onto the seals for support. Rawk raised his head and shouted, "Gittara!"  
  
The seals swam off at an alarming pace. Kaola, Ioales, ShadowWave and all the otters kept up though, with the same energy.  
  
After a while, the otters had swam to the other side of the volcano. Kaola looked around. Ioales, blinking out seawater from her eyes, swore she saw the bottom of the mountain open up, and reveal an opening. Peering closer, she counted the waves. One... two... three...  
  
Eventually, the gap showed itself. Ioales wasn't so sure, but around the nineteenth wave seemed to come right before the crevice opened. Prodding Kaola, who was staring at the sunset, she said, "On the nineteenth wave, swim towards the hole that opens up. I think there's something inside!"  
  
Kaola nodded. "I'm for anything."  
  
They waited and counted. As the seventeenth wave approached, Kaola yelled to the other otters and seafolk, "Follow Ioales and I!"  
  
The nineteenth wave approached. Kaola and Ioales swam faster than they ever had, sea spray flying up behind them. Almost flying, they entered the crevice, roaring, "Yaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"  
  
The huge wave pushed them into the opening, rushing them along. Seaweed scraped ShadowWave's fur, and barnacles clung to the ceiling. An eerie light filled the cavern. After a rough ride, blinking sunlight flashed in the otter refuges faces. But what welcomed them was not quite a hospitable greeting.  
  
Ioales was the first to wash up, then Kaola, ShadowWave, and Seaweed. The rest of the otters piled up behind them. Looking around, Kaola gasped.  
  
Huge, reptilian lizards snaked their tongues out, hissing. It looked as if a fifteen or so were there. Kaola grabbed a piece of driftwood, and got into a fighting stance. ShadowWave snatched up a rock limb, not unlike a primitive mace. The other otters quickly seized driftwood and rock chunks, arming themselves.  
  
The lizards hissed and charged forward. The otters recoiled, but then remembered the reason they were out this far in the ocean in the first place- slavery. Horrifically thinking of what the reptiles might do to them, they yelled and ran forward, waving the driftwood and pieces of rock.  
  
The lizards momentarily stopped- the show of aggressiveness frightened them to some extent. The otters captured that chance, and slammed their force into the monitor lizards.  
  
The impact took out about five of the lizards. The battle raged on after that, with otters yelling, snarling reptiles, and most manifest of all, the battle cries of ShadowWave Tsunami, wielding her mace of destruction, her crimson eyes flashing.  
  
"Yahhhhhhhhhh! 'Tis yore dying night! Whupperoooooo! See the gates, me buckoes! Yahhhhhhhhhh!"  
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A/N Well? How is it? Please review and stuff! Yes, I know. There were supposed to be more lizards, but do you really think a score of otters can win against thirty monitors (Random number)? I actually had to refer to Pearls of Lutra for this info. Yes, I researched! ~cheers~ -Shadowsong CometShard StarGlaive 


	5. Epilouge

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Wallyum looked at the same sky- it was darkening too, with a scarlet sunset on the horizon. "And that's how Ruddering came to be."  
  
Grath smiled at the kits, who were sleeping, exhausted from being excited about the tale. "What happened to Ioales and Kaola?"  
  
Wallyum stroked a sleeping kit's head, who giggled in her sleep and grabbed the closest thing to her- a sharp serrated rock. Wallyum smiled too at the kit. "She must resemble Seaweed, Ioales and Kaola's adopted kit. They also had a daughter, the same black as midnight, and with eyes of fire."  
  
Grath tickled the otter kit. "And what was the otter pup's name, sir?"  
  
Wallyum grinned. "A very unusual name- ShadowWave Tsunami, named after the very otter that started all the rebellion."  
  
Grath looked at the sky also, her mate doing the same. Inbar clasped her paw in his, and in unison, uttered the words- "Ruddering!"  
  
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A/N Ok, I know that was somewhat fluff-y, but they are such a couple!!! Well, that's one story- I still have to update 'The song of a shadow', actually post 'Get to know each other', and work on my upcoming ficcy, a poem about the night of when the Goreleech crashed into the twin rocks, and about Ranguvar Foeseeker (favorite character in Redwall, tied with Taggerung/Deyna), Luke, and such. By the way, some of you must think that ShadowWave is a lot like Ranguvar. Well, about after half of 'Ruddering Sunsets' did I think about Ranguvar and ShadowWave being so alike. Think of it this way- ShadowWave is Ranguvar's reincarnation, Songbreeze (from Marlfox) is Rose's (Martin the Warrior) reincarnation, and Matthias, Mattimeo, Martin the second, Triss, Tammo, Mariel, all those beasts who had been touched by Martin the Warrior's spirit (and I KNOW I left out a few, bear with me) and all that good stuff. See you... um, see you next fic! There are going to be more Redwall fics, and scattered other ones. Sorry 'bout the long A/N, but hey... it's a ten page long fanfic, I need a good rant! -Shadowsong CometShard StarGlaive 


End file.
